We periodically head out into Wine Country to visit our favorite inns and hotels, wineries, restaurants, and other partner organizations. These excursions have proved invaluable to the Verve team as we curate one-of-a-kind itineraries for our guests, and refer dozens of folks to our partners on a daily basis. On our most recent "team research" day, we had the pleasure of visiting our courageous friends at the Calistoga Fire Department. Who wouldn't want these guys as your first responders?!
It's a little known fact that Verve's lead chauffeur, Joe Russo, is also an active local firefighter for the city of Calistoga. Although he's behind the camera in the above shot, Joe is truly our Hero of Hospitality! During our visit, we got a special tour of the fire station, tried on some gear, and even stumbled upon (and consumed!) their impressive candy stash.
Next, we stopped by Solage Calistoga and its critically-acclaimed Sol Bar Restaurant. We loved meeting some of their fabulous staff (front desk agent Jonathan Bastien and concierge Jason Wright) and taking them on-board to check out the Verve buggy (our luxury Mercedes Benz Sprinter).
Our lunch at Sol Bar was such a treat — enjoying good food while sitting by a fire, drenched in lovely natural light…not a bad situation to be in! No wonder we all look so happy.
Our last stop of the day was at St. Helena's Black Rock Inn, located at the base of obsidian-covered Glass Mountain. The inn's owner, Jeff Orlik, prides himself on giving his guests a VIP experience — just like us! He offers up home-cooked meals, tours and tastings in his rustic wine cave cellar, quiet time in their intoxicatingly tranquil sunroom, and don't even get us started on the decadent chocolate brownies he bakes! With both main house accommodations and a separate guest house available, Black Rock Inn makes for the perfect getaway destination in St. Helena for our guests.
Where will our next adventure in the Valley take us? Stay connected to find out: